ICC World Cup: Denied to present trophy, ICC prez walks out before the game ends

Melbourne: Peeved at not being given the opportunity to hand out the World Cup trophy to the champions, ICC President Mustafa Kamal yesterday left the Melbourne Cricket Ground even before the final finished.

It was ICC chairman N Srinivasan, who handed the trophy to champion team’s skipper Michael Clarke.

Mustafa Kamal

According to reliable sources in the ICC, it is learnt that at an ICC meeting here on Saturday, Kamal was categorically told that he won’t be allowed to hand over the trophy.

It has been learnt that Srinivasan is extremely angry after Kamal voiced his concerns about “umpiring bias”, which led to Rohit Sharma being given not-out to a Rubel Hossain delivery which apparently looked a “touch and go” decision.

Kamal, who is the Bangladesh Cricket Board president had accused India of flexing its muscles, which had led to umpiring bias.

Srinivasan reportedly wasn’t one bit amused after hearing Kamal’s comments on record. While the former BCCI president didn’t say anything in public, he did express his displeasure to the board members and questioned as to how can Kamal pinpoint on one wrong umpiring decision and take it as an isolated case.

Kamal, yesterday, reportedly didn’t sit in the ICC Hospitality Box and after talking to elite group of people in Bangladesh government (he is a union minister also), Kamal decided to leave the venue as he felt that it was an insult to his position.